Lavrov Asserts Details on Syria’s Southern De-Escalation Zone in Final Stages

MOSCOW- Work on the southern de-escalation zone in Syria will be completed in the near future, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday, according to Ita Tass.

“I believe the experience of establishing the southern de-escalation zone with the participation of Russia, the US and Jordan, which is being implemented right before our eyes, is the best confirmation of the fact when we deal with specific matters rather than speculations, we can achieve good results,” Lavrov noted.

 “The process of establishing the zone continues, the main parameters have already been agreed. The details are being finalized on how it will operate to ensure control over compliance with the cessation of hostilities by the government troops and the armed opposition, to ensure unrestricted humanitarian access and civilians’ movement to and from this zone,” he said. “I believe this work will be completed in the immediate future.”

After the Russian-US summit held in Hamburg on July 7, it was announced that a de-escalation zone would be set up in southwestern Syria – in Daraa, Quneitra and Sweida.

US troops in Syria is illegitimate

Lavrov also said that the presence of any foreign troops or bases in Syria after the conflict resolution will be legitimate with the Syrians’ consent.

“After the country has been liberated, after the settlement has been reached to the satisfaction of all the Syrian ethnic, confessional and political groups, the presence of the foreign troops, of foreign bases on the soil of Syria would be only legitimate with the consent of the Syrians themselves,” Lavrov said when asked about Russia’s stance on deployment of US bases and checkpoints in the north of Syria.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo’s concern about deployment of two Russian bases in Syria whereas the United States are reported to have deployed about a dozen shows double standards, Lavrov said.

“So if a gentleman, who represents a country (that) illegitimately have created ten bases in Syria, is concerned very much about two bases which have been established on the basis of our intergovernmental agreement with a government that is a member of the United Nations, then something is wrong with double standards,” he added.

“Not to mention that hundreds and hundreds of military bases of the United States all over the world and all around Russia seemingly do not cause any concern to Mr. Pompeo or anybody else,” Lavrov said.

Syria’s government did not ask the US’s help in the fight against terrorists, so the presence of US troops in that country is illegitimate, he said. Russia assumes that this presence is justified by a sole goal, which is the fight against so-called Islamic State and other terrorists.

H.M